WEBVTT

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Good morning Welcome to State

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Department staff mm of our

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diplomatic and foreign policy community .

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Both those here in person and those

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participating virtually . I want to

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especially acknowledge the presence of

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our active duty and reserve personnel

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veterans , members of veteran's estate

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affinity group which I serve as a

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leadership . Is on members of mosaic

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the department's employee affinity

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group where employees identifying as

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muslim and those interested in muslim

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cultures . Today we come together

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to honor the nearly 3000 people who

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were killed in the terrorist attacks On

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September 11 , 2001 . We joined

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families all over the world that lost

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their loved ones in new york

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pennsylvania and Virginia . It is a

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day that many of us who will never

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forget one of those powerful

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historic moments . Well , you know

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exactly where you were in , what you

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were doing the moment you learned of

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the attacks . Yeah . Mhm . It

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is equally important to recognize how

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much the world has changed the moment .

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American Airlines flight 11 struck the

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north tower On that clear Tuesday

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morning . Not only did it mobilize the

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will of America , it galvanized

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people and nations around the world

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toward the common goal of denying

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terrorism a safe haven

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Before returning to the Department of

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State in 2009 I served both In the US

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Air Force and Naval Reserves for 22

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years . And as counsel on the 9 11

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Commission . It was both my duty and

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responsibility as an american And a New

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York native to be able to join others

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on the commission to tell the story of

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9 11 as best we could and of those we

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honour today who lost their lives or

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those who continue to suffer the impact

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of these heinous attacks on their

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everyday existence . Before

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beginning our program , I would first

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like to ask that we stand and take a

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moment of silence in remembrance of all

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those who lost their lives and their

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loved ones still in mourning .

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Thank you . Mhm .

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I hope that the voices we hear this

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morning will convey the many ways in

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which members of our community have

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been impacted by the 9-11 attacks . On

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a personal level . On this day , like

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every year we stand strong . We stand

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united . You will now hear several

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personal reflections first from Deputy

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Assistant Secretary chris goo from the

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Bureau of Diplomatic Security followed

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by militias are turner the vet , the

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President of Veterans at ST ambassador

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Matthew claim oh Who was serving in the

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Pentagon on 9 11 and finally our

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own secretary of state , Anthony

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Blinken . Deputy Assistant

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director chew without further ado ,

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please take this

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Yeah ,

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On the morning of September 11 2001 A

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booming vibration showed the 26 federal

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plausibility in new york city where I

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was having breakfast with colleagues .

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Following diplomatic security service

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in new york field office Special Agent

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Dean Simpkins who was staring out the

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window , turned to us and said the

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World Trade center is on fire . We

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looked in disbelief at the smoke

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pouring out of tower one and paper

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selling through the sky like confetti .

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We rushed back to the office to report

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what we saw two New York Field Office

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leadership and found the entire office

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trying to make sense of what just

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happened . Moments later ,

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Assistant special agent in charge

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scream into the office public address

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system to instruct everyone to evacuate

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the building immediately and assembled

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at a designated rally point . The

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second plane has slammed into Tower two .

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The building staircase was crowded with

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federal employees , visitors and

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contractors . Some struggled with the

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physical exertion of descending 34

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flights of stairs And friends and

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colleagues supported one another .

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Faces were tense , nervous and unsure .

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With an occasional 4th smile to calm

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oneself and colleagues . People fill

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the streets around the federal building ,

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most stood and stared at the two

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burning towers . A few saw

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quietly emergency vehicles raced

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toward the World Trade Center . Fire

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engines , police cars , ambulances ,

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heroes running towards danger without

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consideration of their own safety . I

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tried calling my wife and my parents ,

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but I had no cell phone signal

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as a law enforcement professional in

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the Department of State's Diplomatic

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Security service and a native new

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yorker . I was eager and anxious to

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join the rescue effort , but I felt

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helpless and angry standing on the

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street , I had just vowed

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inwardly to help repair and rebuild new

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york city . When I watched in

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total disbelief as the first tower

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crashed onto the streets below . Uh huh .

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DSS leadership instructed me to leave

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the island of Manhattan and wait on

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standby for a week long duty assignment

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to help at ground zero . I raced home

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to ensure my parents were safe and I

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tried to locate my wife who was working

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one block from the World Trade Center .

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She arrived home in the late afternoon ,

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covered from head to toe in World Trade

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Center building dust should barely

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escape with a co worker during it

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Harrowing evacuation on foot that took

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them across Manhattan and into Queens

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via the 59th Street Bridge . They

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embraced and cried

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having survived , but my wife's

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coworkers , brother mike were not so

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fortunate . He was in new york city

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firefighter and one of those heroes who

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rushed towards the burning buildings

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before they fell . I served a ground

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zero a week later along with 52

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diplomatic security service special

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agents who ended up joining the massive

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surge of first responders who rushed To

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assist aftermath of the 9-11 terrorist

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attacks that destroyed the World Trade

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Center . My World Trade

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Center , 23

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DSS new york . Field office agents and

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additional to support personnel worked

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alongside dozens of special agents from

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DSS satellite and field offices up and

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down the East coast agents delivered

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gasoline to fuel generators

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transporting exhausted firefighters and

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doctors . An emergency rescue equipment

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through tunnels close to general

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traffic . The SS also expedited getting

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copies of World Trade Center blueprints

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from outside of the region to the site .

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Transport Department of Energy and fema .

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Personnel to critical meetings and

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delivered critical evidence to the FBI

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Joint Terrorism Task Force for analysis

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in december 2000 and one foreign

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dignitaries poured into new york city

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for the U . N . General Assembly And

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every one of them wanted to pay their

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respects at ground zero and at at local

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fire stations . Every stop

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brought back that terrible day and

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reminded me of dose exhausted and

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grieving firefighters . Police officers

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at MTV's Let us never

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forget The families of the over 3000

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victims . The 412 emergency workers who

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climbed those stairs with heavy

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shoulders and determined faces while

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others fled to safety . Those DSS

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agents who volunteered at ground zero

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and some of whom have become ill from

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toxic dusting hell . The survivors and

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witnesses like my wife who will who

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still can't talk about that day without

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choking up and heroes like mike ,

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let us never forget . Thank you .

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And now I'm honored to introduce

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Shazzer Turner , the President of

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Veterans as state .

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Thank you . Yeah ,

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sorry , I'm having technical

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difficulties .

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Would it be possible to go to the

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ambassador next ?

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Certainly not yet . Yeah , we can come

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back to shapes are if you're having

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some problems . We have the ambassador ,

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would you like to speak next ? Are you

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ready ? Of course , I'm happy to thank

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you . Mr Secretary Undersecretary

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Jenkins , fellow diplomats and Veterans

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greetings from Ashkhabad 20 years ago .

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I was a colonel in the United States

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Army , serving in the Pentagon is the

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executive assistant to General Richard

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B . Myers , the 15th chairman of the

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joint chiefs of staff . Among the

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harrowing sights and sounds and smells

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that linger with me to this day ,

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there's one vignette that I want to

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share with you . It's not a story of

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despair , but one of the american

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spirit and determination that we in the

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State Department show . Every day when

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we go to work at 10 50 am ,

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slightly over one hour after flight 77

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slammed into the pentagon . I was in

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the smoke field , National Military

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Command Center , deep in the heart of

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the pentagon six of us who were in a

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sealed skiff , including General Myers

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and Secretary of Defense Donald

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Rumsfeld . President Bush had convened

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a conference call of key leaders in

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Washington . The president came on the

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line and he was sure footed ,

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confident and unflappable , and I could

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remember well , his exact words when he

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began to speak , he said , I want

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everyone who could hear my voice to

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know that no faceless thugs will hold

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our country at bay . I want you to find

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out who did this . I want you to track

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them down and I want you to destroy

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them somewhat . On the conference call ,

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uttered a profanity about Osama bin

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laden . But the President came right

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back on and said , Now , wait a minute .

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First , get the facts . 2nd . Clean up

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your language . It was the perfect

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retort . It broke the tension . We all

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laughed , but as the call went on , I

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began to feel light headed . I couldn't

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concentrate . I thought I might pass

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out . The animal sitting next to me ,

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shook my arm and he said , listen , I'm

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an old submariner , I know what's

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happening . We need to get everyone out

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of here . There's no oxygen in the room .

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It's filling up with carbon dioxide .

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The animal said he would look for an

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alternate command center where we could

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relocate everyone . And he asked me to

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find an air monitor to measure the

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oxygen levels . Well , I was an

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infantry officer . There may be a

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monitors in a submarine , but where to

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find one in the pentagon . So like any

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good infantry colonel , I called for my

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captain Chris Donaghue , Chris Don't

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find an air manager . And to my

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amazement , he soon returned with the

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Arlington County Fire Department air

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quality expert who said that are Our

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oxygen levels were hovering around 16%

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and at 13% we needed to evacuate the

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building , he said , you need to get

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out . I broke the news to General Myers

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and Secretary Rumsfeld , who conferred

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and they said , we cannot leave . The

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pentagon is the symbol of americans .

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America's military power . And then

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something remarkable happened . He

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turned to me and pointed at Chris

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Donahue and myself and he said , You

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two get the word out tomorrow is a

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normal work there at the pentagon .

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Everybody gets to work on time as usual .

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And that is the point of my remarks

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today . Let us remember not only 9 11 ,

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let us remember 9 12 , the 12th of

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september 2000 and one . Because quite

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simply The day after 9 11 , we

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got back to work with a renewed spirit

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of determination . President Harry S

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Truman said America was not built on

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fear . America was built on courage ,

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on imagination and on unbeatable

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determination . We

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we could have that spirit again today .

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We need that spirit today . Let that

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spirit of determination be what we hold

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to and what we take from this day of

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remembrance . That and the fact that

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life is a precious gift and we ought to

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spend what time we have on earth in

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pursuit of a noble purpose . So on this

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day of remembrance , let us commit

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ourselves with that same determination

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we felt on 9:12 to that

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spirit of what we need to do to make

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our talent hard work and spirit build

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America . If we commit to those things

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today with that kind of determination

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After the tragedy of 9 11 , we will be

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living up to our own full potential .

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And finally , I hope that you recognize

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the name of that intrepid Captain Chris

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Donaghue Now , major general Donahue ,

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commanding general of the 82nd Airborne

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Division and the last american soldier

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to depart . Kabul , thank you for

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letting me join you today , please come

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to Ashkhabad , we'll be thinking of you

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today in all these God bless

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thank you very much . Ambassador . Uh

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she's are are you able to connect now ?

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I think you're still on mute there .

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Well she's off , you can keep working

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on it but for sake of time I think

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we're going to move forward . Um I'd

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like to introduce of course our

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Secretary of State antony Blinken

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morning everyone and thank you all so

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much for being here today . Um It is

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An honor to join today speakers to mark

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the 20th anniversary Of the September

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11 terrorist attacks . I have to say

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to both the ambassador to you , chris ,

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thank you for your powerfully evocative

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remarks , I think in different ways .

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Both of you brought us back to that

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day um brought us back to what so many

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of us were feeling and brought us back

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to a remarkable spirit that

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actually joined us and united us in

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ways that I think we can find

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inspiration for every day going forward .

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We come together first and foremost

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to honor the people we lost on that

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horrific day . Nearly 3000 men , women ,

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Children in new york in Arlington

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in shanksville for their loved ones .

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The pain from the loss began on 9 11 .

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They felt it every day since some

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members of our community lost family ,

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friends that day . Our hearts go out to

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all of you . Every one of those

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losses sent ripples that radiated

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outward . The stories of those who died

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were told around the world . Restaurant

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workers on breakfast shifts , kids

19:15.910 --> 19:18.860
flying to Disneyland firefighters and

19:18.860 --> 19:20.916
police officers who as we all know ,

19:20.920 --> 19:24.470
ran into the building after the planes

19:24.470 --> 19:26.730
hit . People from more than 90

19:26.730 --> 19:28.841
countries lost their lives that day .

19:29.740 --> 19:31.851
Every one of them , someone's child ,

19:31.851 --> 19:33.962
someone's parents , someone sibling ,

19:34.340 --> 19:37.760
someone's friend chris goes account

19:38.940 --> 19:42.930
is so vivid and painful for

19:42.930 --> 19:45.450
many of us , even if we weren't in new

19:45.450 --> 19:48.040
york or Virginia that day , even if we

19:48.040 --> 19:50.151
were on the other side of the world ,

19:50.340 --> 19:52.460
uh , it felt somehow deeply personal

19:53.430 --> 19:56.500
and I think it still does for those of

19:56.500 --> 19:58.333
you who are working at the State

19:58.333 --> 20:00.540
Department . Uh , memories are just as

20:00.540 --> 20:03.300
vivid . Some of you were in the

20:03.300 --> 20:07.100
building that day , you evacuated and

20:07.100 --> 20:09.267
saw the smoke rising from the pentagon

20:09.740 --> 20:12.480
for a while . People thought that there

20:12.480 --> 20:14.470
could be a car bomb nearby and DS

20:14.470 --> 20:17.360
agents made sure that everyone got out .

20:19.240 --> 20:21.462
You showed up for work the next morning

20:21.740 --> 20:24.870
as we heard , not yet fully knowing

20:25.440 --> 20:28.100
what had happened or what would be

20:28.110 --> 20:30.720
required of you in the days , weeks ,

20:30.720 --> 20:33.770
months and years ahead but

20:34.340 --> 20:37.300
ready to do whatever your country asks

20:37.300 --> 20:40.900
him around the world . We saw people

20:40.900 --> 20:43.110
come forward to show their

20:43.120 --> 20:45.850
extraordinary solidarity and empathy .

20:46.640 --> 20:48.807
They congregated outside our embassies

20:49.140 --> 20:52.560
Consulates , praying , singing ,

20:53.540 --> 20:56.470
crying , they left handwritten notes ,

20:57.140 --> 21:00.510
flowers , candles , drawings , Mementos

21:01.940 --> 21:04.320
outside our embassy in Sydney . The new

21:04.320 --> 21:07.430
south Wales rural fire service left a

21:07.430 --> 21:09.541
helmet That they're firefighters have

21:09.541 --> 21:12.100
signed for American 1st responders and

21:12.100 --> 21:15.960
it read to all stations come home safe

21:16.940 --> 21:19.760
in Ethiopia . So many people left

21:19.760 --> 21:21.816
flowers at the base of the embassies

21:21.816 --> 21:25.400
flagpole at that pile of flowers . Rose

21:25.410 --> 21:28.240
a third of the way up the flagpole amid

21:28.240 --> 21:30.920
the hundreds of letters and signs left

21:30.920 --> 21:32.642
outside embassy . Berlin was a

21:32.642 --> 21:36.060
handwritten note that read Kennedy said ,

21:36.740 --> 21:40.130
I am a berliner . We say we are

21:40.140 --> 21:44.080
americans . As we saw that day . Our

21:44.090 --> 21:46.360
allies and partners commitment to us

21:46.940 --> 21:50.100
and ours to them is a sacred bond that

21:50.100 --> 21:52.100
goes much deeper than relationships

21:52.100 --> 21:54.211
between governments . It's a bond our

21:54.211 --> 21:56.030
peoples have built over many

21:56.030 --> 21:59.360
generations . 9 11 was

22:00.340 --> 22:02.451
to understate one of the darkest days

22:02.451 --> 22:04.451
in our history , but out of it also

22:04.451 --> 22:06.562
came these demonstrations of profound

22:06.562 --> 22:09.920
humanity , compassion , strength and

22:09.920 --> 22:13.810
courage . Above all , it showed

22:13.820 --> 22:17.280
our remarkable resilience . It showed

22:17.280 --> 22:19.450
our capacity to defend the pluralism

22:19.450 --> 22:21.672
that has long been one of our country's

22:21.672 --> 22:23.450
greatest strengths including by

22:23.450 --> 22:25.617
embracing our muslim american brothers

22:25.617 --> 22:27.783
and sisters . It showed the risks that

22:27.783 --> 22:30.210
so many are willing to take to save the

22:30.210 --> 22:33.550
lives of complete strangers . So today

22:33.550 --> 22:36.050
we remember all of that and more .

22:37.240 --> 22:39.407
We've also come together today because

22:39.640 --> 22:41.807
maybe more than any other event in our

22:41.807 --> 22:44.330
lifetimes 9 11 Shape the trajectory of

22:44.330 --> 22:46.490
our country and how we engage in the

22:46.490 --> 22:49.150
world . It motivated an entire

22:49.160 --> 22:51.570
generation to pursue lives of service .

22:52.440 --> 22:55.170
Some became journalists lawyers , human

22:55.170 --> 22:57.930
rights defenders , others volunteered

22:57.930 --> 23:00.150
for the military . Hundreds of

23:00.150 --> 23:01.817
thousands went on to serve in

23:01.817 --> 23:05.520
Afghanistan 2641 Service members gave

23:05.520 --> 23:07.242
their lives in that conflict ,

23:07.340 --> 23:09.340
Including 13 men and women who were

23:09.340 --> 23:11.284
killed in a terrorist attack a few

23:11.284 --> 23:13.396
weeks ago . As we brought that war to

23:13.396 --> 23:15.700
an end , More than 20,000 of those

23:15.700 --> 23:18.660
service members were injured , many

23:18.670 --> 23:22.450
with invisible wounds . We're humbled

23:23.740 --> 23:26.400
by the sacrifices that they made and we

23:26.400 --> 23:28.567
know that for veterans in particular ,

23:29.540 --> 23:31.707
as I know , she's our turner was going

23:31.707 --> 23:34.840
to tell us this anniversary will be an

23:34.840 --> 23:37.850
especially emotional one , inspiring

23:37.850 --> 23:40.560
both pride but also pain

23:42.040 --> 23:44.262
September 11 also inspired a generation

23:44.262 --> 23:46.318
of people to join this institution ,

23:46.540 --> 23:49.120
State Department . Those new officers

23:49.120 --> 23:51.860
walked into this building , I think

23:51.860 --> 23:54.027
having some sense of how hard the work

23:54.027 --> 23:56.304
would be , how much we were up against ,

23:56.304 --> 23:58.360
how vital it was that they succeed .

23:58.540 --> 24:00.890
But of course a full appreciation for

24:00.890 --> 24:04.180
all of that came with time . Came with

24:04.180 --> 24:06.840
experience , came with engagement , but

24:06.840 --> 24:09.770
from day one they threw themselves into

24:09.770 --> 24:11.937
the challenges with total commitment .

24:13.540 --> 24:15.707
Looking around this department today ,

24:15.707 --> 24:17.818
we can see how the attacks changed us

24:17.940 --> 24:20.890
and changed our diplomacy . Thousands

24:20.890 --> 24:23.057
of diplomats served in Afghanistan and

24:23.057 --> 24:26.360
Iraq and elsewhere in support of the

24:26.360 --> 24:28.082
war against al Qaeda and other

24:28.082 --> 24:30.020
terrorist groups . Thousands more

24:30.020 --> 24:32.076
served in new bureaus and roles that

24:32.076 --> 24:34.131
didn't exist before the attacks like

24:34.131 --> 24:35.798
counterterrorism conflict and

24:35.798 --> 24:38.680
stabilization . Virtually every part of

24:38.680 --> 24:40.736
the department was mobilized in some

24:40.736 --> 24:42.650
way to play a role in preventing

24:42.660 --> 24:46.470
another 9 11 critical work that many of

24:46.470 --> 24:49.680
us continue to this day cherish .

24:49.680 --> 24:52.160
Members of our foreign service gave

24:52.160 --> 24:55.500
their lives to these efforts today . We

24:55.500 --> 24:59.270
honor them as well . Part

24:59.270 --> 25:02.030
of our job . Part of our responsibility

25:02.040 --> 25:05.660
as diplomats is to perpetually reflect

25:06.040 --> 25:08.151
on how we engage with the rest of the

25:08.151 --> 25:10.230
world and to ask some very basic

25:10.230 --> 25:12.930
questions . Are we making our nation

25:12.930 --> 25:16.840
safer , more secure ? Are we advancing

25:16.850 --> 25:19.830
our interests ? Are we living up to our

25:19.830 --> 25:22.620
values ? Are we focusing too much on

25:22.620 --> 25:25.560
some threats and not enough on others ?

25:26.440 --> 25:29.900
Are we missing opportunities ? We were

25:29.900 --> 25:32.820
asking those questions then we have a

25:32.820 --> 25:34.987
responsibility to continue asking them

25:34.987 --> 25:37.650
now to more effectively tackle the

25:37.650 --> 25:40.440
challenges that we face today , to try

25:40.440 --> 25:42.770
and see around the corner to the crises

25:42.770 --> 25:44.992
and challenges of tomorrow to make sure

25:44.992 --> 25:47.103
we're doing all we can to deliver for

25:47.103 --> 25:49.370
our fellow citizens , whether you are

25:49.370 --> 25:51.426
part of the team that was there when

25:51.426 --> 25:53.830
the attacks occurred , Whether you

25:53.830 --> 25:56.540
joined because of those attacks or

25:56.540 --> 25:58.730
whether you came here for some other

25:58.730 --> 26:01.380
reason altogether . What we all have in

26:01.380 --> 26:05.190
common is that deep down we feel a

26:05.190 --> 26:08.640
calling to try to do right by our

26:08.640 --> 26:11.090
fellow americans to try to make their

26:11.090 --> 26:13.870
lives just a little bit more secure , a

26:13.870 --> 26:15.981
little bit more prosperous , a little

26:15.981 --> 26:17.592
healthier with a little more

26:17.592 --> 26:19.850
opportunity and we want to engage the

26:19.850 --> 26:22.660
world in a way that makes their lives

26:23.540 --> 26:26.850
in our lives and the world better

26:27.840 --> 26:29.950
wherever we serve . Whatever the

26:29.950 --> 26:32.470
challenge or crisis , we've chosen

26:32.470 --> 26:35.470
diplomacy as our tools to make that

26:35.470 --> 26:38.670
world a little bit better . You have to

26:38.670 --> 26:41.520
be 20 years old to register for the

26:41.530 --> 26:44.310
Foreign Service Officer Test . So what

26:44.310 --> 26:46.532
does that mean ? It means that starting

26:46.532 --> 26:49.420
tomorrow , The first volunteers born

26:49.430 --> 26:52.430
after 9 11 , we'll start the process of

26:52.430 --> 26:55.420
becoming foreign Service officers . I

26:55.420 --> 26:57.753
can't wait to welcome to this community .

26:57.840 --> 26:59.507
They will help make the State

26:59.507 --> 27:02.150
Department even stronger , more diverse

27:02.380 --> 27:04.047
and more ready to take on the

27:04.047 --> 27:07.460
challenges of our time And hearing from

27:07.470 --> 27:09.414
foreign service officers and civil

27:09.414 --> 27:11.692
servants who were serving September 11 .

27:12.240 --> 27:14.760
one thing they often talk about is how

27:15.640 --> 27:18.600
no matter how wrenching and terrifying

27:18.600 --> 27:20.960
those first moments and first days felt

27:21.930 --> 27:23.986
they appreciated that they were in a

27:23.986 --> 27:26.208
place to do something about it . And it

27:26.208 --> 27:28.450
goes back To what Chris was saying . At

27:28.450 --> 27:30.710
1st , I think so many of us had a

27:30.710 --> 27:33.460
feeling of helplessness . But then

27:34.140 --> 27:37.970
then that instinct , uh ,

27:37.980 --> 27:40.147
that brings us together really clicked

27:40.147 --> 27:42.100
in and we realized we could do

27:42.100 --> 27:44.470
something and those of us in this

27:44.470 --> 27:48.160
community did do something they

27:48.160 --> 27:50.520
appreciated . We appreciated that we

27:50.520 --> 27:53.130
were in a place to do something about

27:53.130 --> 27:56.760
it . We had jobs , they had jobs where

27:56.760 --> 27:58.871
they could help their fellow citizens

27:58.871 --> 28:01.220
and their country in ways both

28:01.220 --> 28:05.060
immediate and lasting . That's an

28:05.060 --> 28:07.640
extraordinary privilege and it's one

28:07.640 --> 28:11.050
that all of us in this department have

28:11.050 --> 28:14.030
right now as well . So on this day of

28:14.030 --> 28:16.560
all days , we remember that privilege

28:17.240 --> 28:19.351
and the responsibility as well as the

28:19.351 --> 28:22.380
opportunity that comes with it . Thank

28:22.380 --> 28:23.380
you very much .

28:27.980 --> 28:31.490
Can you keep quiet about ? Thank you ,

28:31.490 --> 28:33.712
Mr Secretary for your words . Thank you

28:33.712 --> 28:36.270
for our other speakers and two shades

28:36.270 --> 28:38.381
are Turner who wasn't able to speak .

28:38.381 --> 28:40.548
We also thank you for your service and

28:40.548 --> 28:42.860
we also thank those individuals are

28:42.870 --> 28:44.648
embassies overseas who are also

28:44.648 --> 28:47.090
Commemorating this day . I also want to

28:47.090 --> 28:49.910
thank all of you for coming and uh

28:49.920 --> 28:51.920
together , coming together today in

28:51.920 --> 28:53.880
service and remembrance as we all

28:53.880 --> 28:55.824
returned to work . Let us hold the

28:55.824 --> 28:57.880
spirit of this day in our hearts and

28:57.880 --> 28:59.991
honor the memory of the fallen in our

28:59.991 --> 29:02.700
words and our actions that concludes

29:02.700 --> 29:04.811
our program . Thank you for your time

29:04.811 --> 29:06.860
and attention on the sounding